EAST PALESTINE, Ohio — Former President Donald Trump is expected to appear Wednesday in this reeling village just over the Pennsylvania border, almost three weeks after a catastrophic train derailment led to the release of toxic chemicals and left residents fearing for their health.
The visit comes as Republicans are increasingly criticizing the Biden administration over its response to the Feb. 3 Norfolk Southern derailment, and with Trump ramping up his own 2024 comeback presidential campaign. The derailment and its aftermath displaced hundreds of residents and contaminated nearby waterways.
“The people of East Palestine need help,” Trump said Saturday on his social media network. “I’ll see you on Wednesday.”
Exactly when and where Trump will appear remained unclear early Wednesday afternoon, but C-SPAN footage aired midmorning showed him boarding a plane in Florida on his way to East Palestine. Local and state lawmakers expected to join Trump include East Palestine Mayor Trent Conaway, U.S. Sen. JD Vance, R-Ohio, and U.S. Rep. Bill Johnson, R-Ohio.
Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg will visit East Palestine on Thursday, CNN reports. Celebrity environmental advocate Erin Brockovich is set to visit the town Friday.
East Palestine schools were closed Wednesday ahead of Trump’s visit.
“We understand that this closure may cause inconvenience for many of our families, but the safety and well-being of our students and staff is our top priority,” East Palestine Superintendent Chris Neifer said in a statement.
While Trump and his allies have framed his visit as a way to highlight what they call the Biden administration’s failed response, it has also put renewed attention on Trump’s record of easing railroad regulations when he was in the White House.
The Trump administration repealed an Obama-era rule mandating that trains carrying hazardous materials use electronically controlled pneumatic (ECP) brakes, which allow them to brake faster. The regulation would not have applied to the Norfolk Southern derailment since the train was not classified as “high-hazard.”
And a Department of Transportation analysis conducted during the Trump administration underestimated future damages from derailments by $117 million, The Associated Press reports.
Criticism of Norfolk Southern and calls for stronger railroad safety measures have mounted ahead of Trump’s visit.
EPA Administrator Michael Regan made his second visit to East Palestine on Tuesday and announced that the agency has ordered Norfolk Southern to conduct and pay for all cleanup.
And Buttigieg announced a package of reforms Tuesday aimed at improving train safety. Among his proposals were increased maximum fines against railroad companies for safety violations, paid sick leave for railroad workers and a safety program for trains carrying large volumes of hazardous materials.
"Profit and expediency must never outweigh the safety of the American people," Buttigieg said Tuesday.
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